Released in 2007 to huge success, the original Bioshock has spawned many novels, DLCs, remasters, and sequels. Looking back at it, what made the game so iconic? The Bioshock franchise is known for its beautiful environments and mind-bending stories. But there is one aspect of the series that defines the core of the whole experience—the first-person gameplay. Bioshock is a story-driven shooter that heavily relies on using weapons and powers in combination. That is the most fun part of the game and makes it massively replayable.
Almost every weapon in the game can be used to its full effect to finish the game. But on harder difficulties, the world of Rapture is much more unforgiving. That is when all seven weapons make a difference.
7 Pistol
Now in many video games, revolvers are probably overpowered. One great example is Broken Butterfly from Resident Evil 4. A handgun with a long trigger, wooden grip, glazed up metal shimmering as the light falls on it. Revolvers sure do look deadly. However, Bioshock treats the gun a little differently, as it is the weakest weapon in the game. The gun is reliable on lower difficulties, especially with upgrades and multiple plasmid combinations, such as Electro Bolt, But falls flat on greater difficulties, which makes Pistol the weakest link.
6 Chemical Thrower
There is a reason why the words Big and Bad go well together because this gun is big, and it is pretty bad. But jokes apart, the Chemical Thrower is probably the weakest in the game. Especially if we excuse the small size of the Pistol. The only reason it gets one up on the Pistol is because of the ammunition capacity and damage. Both of which depends on how well it is used. The reload rate is pretty slow for the gun, and it has a reduced range as well. One thing that works for it is the looks and how fun it can be to use. But other than that there isn't much.
5 Crossbow
Now, who in their right mind would have thought that a Crossbow will be more useful than a massive flame thrower. Especially when in other games, players use it to fight an Alien. Imagine doing the same with a crossbow. However, in the reality of Bioshock, the Crossbow is much better.
For starters, it is sort of like a replacement for the sniper, with long-range and high damage the weapon can be used in almost all scenarios. It's ammo types, and upgrades work in its favor as well. The more severe difficulties do affect the usefulness of this weapon.
4 Machine Gun
The most significant point of using a Machine Gun in any game is because of the rate of fire. Machine guns are usually fast and easy to handle. In Bioshock, it is pretty much the same, except for the super high recoil value. The variety of rounds and upgrades work in favor of this gun, making it the choice of weapon for the first playthrough. Even on greater difficulties, this weapon is handy, making it one of the most balanced guns in-game. Players will not be able to steamroll through enemies, but will still feel the sheer intensity of a gunfight.
3 Grenade Launcher
A Grenade Launcher is an amusing weapon to use in almost every game. In the multiplayer of Battlefield and many others, players can be seen taking out walls and hordes of enemies with one shot. The Bioshock version of the Grenade Launcher is no different.
With minimum downsides like rate of fire and reload speed, this weapon is colossal. It has excellent upgrades and is probably the best weapon of choice for hard difficulty. However, it is imperative to upgrade this weapon as quickly as possible to make the best use of it.
2 Wrench
The wrench is the iconic weapon of the game. Similar to the crowbar from Half-Life, some weapons are meant to transcend time. Years from now, the wrench will be the weapon that will remind gamers of Bioshock. But the iconic nature of this weapon does not give it the number two on this list. It is the overall usefulness that makes it the best. The wrench is fast doesn't need reloading or ammo like guns. Which means it can impale enemies quickly. The downside is the range, as every fight with this weapon needs to be up-close, which gives enemies a chance to hit the players back.
1 Shotgun
The shotgun is the best weapon of Bioshock and the most consistent one throughout the whole series. Holding it in Bioshock means nobody will survive. It has excellent upgrades, stopping power, and functional ammo capacity. The shotgun works well long and short-range. The only downside to it is that its ammo capacity needs to be upgraded to make the best use of it. Other than that, it is the best weapon to use in combination with almost all the plasmids in-game. Players can Electro Bolt enemies and shoot their heads clean off or, better yet, freeze them with winter blast and turn them into Christmas morning snowflakes.